Over the last couple of years, I've found myself having more conversations with schools about international students recruitment. Some schools that would traditionally be full at this point in the year are still recruiting. Others are finding that the approaches which worked well before are no longer delivering the same results.
What I've been wondering is whether part of the challenge lies not only in how schools respond to enquiries, but in how they build relationships with families long before those enquiries arrive . One example comes from the immersion programme we've been running with a UK independent school in recent years.
I used to assume that most enquiries were broadly the same that families were looking at different schools and trying to decide which one was the best fit. However, over the time I found some were but many weren't.
I remember one parent asking whether there was any point bringing a young child to an immersion programme if they spoke very little English and wouldn't understand much of what was happening. Although it sounded like a question about language, the parent was really asking whether the experience would be worth it：Would their child benefit from it?Was it worth the time, effort and expense?
That was when I started to realise that not all enquiries are the same. Some families have already decided they want this type of experience. They're comparing schools. Others are still trying to decide whether the experience itself is worthwhile.
The first family needs information while the second needs confidence in the idea itself.
And I suspect this distinction matters more today than it did a few years ago. Many schools are very good at helping families compare options once they are ready to choose. But some of the most engaged families I've encountered were nowhere near that stage.
They were still exploring possibilities and trying to understand what different educational experiences might mean for their child. Which is why I've started to think differently about content and engagement.
Information about a school is essential. But information mainly helps families compare schools. For families who haven't yet bought into the idea, the more important question is often: Why does this matter in the first place?
Perhaps that is where some of the greatest opportunities now lie. Not simply responding to demand, but helping families understand the value behind an educational experience long before they are ready to make a decision.